uSwitch Mobiles

Toyota pulls iPhone jailbreak theme at Apple’s request

Japanese car giant Toyota has been forced to pull a custom iPhone theme it created for jailbroken iPhones after Apple took a disliking to the move.

The theme, which went live via the Cydia download service – the go-to place for iPhone owners who don’t like being trapped inside Apple’s walled gardens – in February, was launched as part of a campaign to promote Toyota’s Scion line of automobiles for the North American market. It was surprising to say the least for a corporation of Toyota’s stature to recognise a potential market in what’s still a niche scene in the sea of compliant iFans.

Alas, Apple also got the whiff of the developments and was less than pleased. According to an inside source at Velti, the advertising agency managing the campaign for Toyota, the car-maker reportedly received a call from Apple requesting the theme be pulled. Toyota complied and instructed Velti to take down the app and cease promotion in order to “maintain their good relationship with Apple”.

Toyota’s desire to maintain a healthy brand relationship is not surprising. It stands to gain far more by being on good terms with a company like Apple than selling a few extra cars to the iRebels. However, it does highlight a worrying truth: namely that Apple is not going to let up its anti-jailbreaking efforts, despite the fact that jailbreaking is now legal in the US thanks to a court ruling.

One of the primary motivations behind jailbreaking an iPhone is the incredible amount customisability it offers - the very fact Toyota tried to exploit and was caught out for.

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